Spring biased closure



May 1, 195 M. L. SELZLER ETAL SPRING BIASED CLOSURE Filed Oct. 13, 1:947

1N VEN TOR. Mama 4. Jezzzae y 011/! 0. 0Jo- Alrrae/vsy Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING BIASED CLO SURE Michael L. Selzler, Santa Monica, and Owen 0.

, Oleson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 13, 1947, Serial No. 779,606

1 Claim. 1 a

This invention relates to radiator caps and has for an object the provision of a cap securable to the filling spout of an automobile radiator and openable by pressure so that it need not be removed and will not be misplaced or lost when the radiator is being filled.

A more detailed object of the invention is the provision of a spring-actuated radiator cap openable by the pressure ofa hose nozzle forced downwardly upon it, which Will not be dependent on the attainment of a fixed and definite position to achieve a suitable closure, but will effect a closure through a range of possible positions and so will be free to assume the position within that range most suitable to circumstances. A further object of the invention is to provide a spring-actuated radiator cap which not only moves between open and closed positions in response to pressure upon the spring, but also has some freedom of movement relative to the spring, so that itmay yieldingly avoid damage which might be caused by rough application of the hose nozzle and may be turned to a more advantageous position if dented or if its operation is obstructed by accumulation of rust or grease.

Yet another object of the invention is th provision of a radiator cap capable of gripping the end of a conduit so as to obviate the necessity of manually holdin the conduit in position to fill the radiator, and having holding means capable of adjusting themselves to various sizes and angles of incidence of the conduit.

The invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some of which, with those enumerated, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred embodiments of ourinvention illustrated in the drawing and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the showing made by the said drawing and description, as we may adopt variations of the preferred embodiments within the scope of our invention as defined by the claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a radiator cap embodying the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away to illustrat a preferred method of attaching the cap to a radiatorfilling spout.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, medial, vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing in broken lines a hose inserted in the cap and the closure depressed thereby to open position.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modified method of attaching the cap to a radiator.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the scale of Figure 4, the plane of section being indicated by the line 6--6 of Figure 4, with the direction of view as indicated.

Specifically describing the embodiments of our invention which have been chosen for illustration and description herein, our invention comprises a housing IU of generally oval form, as seen in plan in Figures 1 and 3, secured adjacent its ends to an attaching plate I I as by rivets I 2. As shown in Figure 2, illustrative of a preferred method of attaching the cap to a radiator-filling spout, the rivets I 2 also secure to the plate II a pair of lugs or cars I3, bent inwardly for the purpose of engaging an outwardly turned flange on a filling spout. This method of quickly attaching a cap by a quarter-turn or bayonet-lock is well known in the art and it has not been deemed necessary to show the radiator, or parts thereof, complementary to the lugs l3. A sealing ring [4 which may be snapped into centered position and there held by the lugs l 3 is provided for sealing the cap to the radiator in the usual manner and its central opening is co-extensive with a similar central opening IS in the attachin plate II'. The housing H] has an apron or flange IS with which to hold the sealing ring l4 centered laterally and to hold the cap centered upon the radiator spout, as well as to improve the appearance of the cap by concealing the above-described attaching means.

To provide a hand grip by which the cap may be turned to attach and to-detach it, and to provide suitable space for the hereinafter described closing mechanism, the housing ID has an elongated frusto-form hollow boss [1. Centrally disposed in the flat upper surface l8 of the boss I! is a circular opening l9 defined peripherally by a downwardly extending annular flange 20. When the cap is attached to the radiator spout, the opening 19 is directly above the spout and admits thereto through the interior of the housing H].

A pin 22 has its ends mounted in the side walls of the boss I! and supports a forked Wire spring 23 which has its two arms wound thereon. The ends 24 of the spring arms extend from the pin 22 to bear against an end wall 25 of the boss I1, providing a resistance against which the spring may be coiled. The central portion of the spring extends centrally under the opening 19 and there forms a loop 26.

A closure 28 is held by the loop portion of the spring 23 so as to be urged thereby upwardly against the flange 20. The closure 28 has a generally convex upper surface marginally providing a curved closure seat which may more exactly be defined as a spherical annulus of :contact 29. The spherical annulus of contact 29 and the annular flange thus form a sealing joint of the type of a universal joint. The closure 28 has universal movement with respect to theflange 20 and may be rotated or tilted Within the opening l9 and will seal the opening while tilted within the limits of contact of the spherical annulus 29 and the flange 20. The central portionof the closure 28 is depressed inwardly to form a concavity 30 on its upper side and a downwardly extending hump 3 I terminating substantially spherically on its lower side. The loop 26. of the spring 23 forms a socket within which the spherical end of the hump 3| rests, and it will be seen'that' these elements form a second universal joint,

=permittingthe closure-28 to rotate or totilt in response-to pressure exerted thereon by the flange 20 or by other bodies inserted'in the opening 19.

:In order to maintain the closure 28 seated upon the 'loopl2iiand'yet; to. permit rotation and tilting of the closure,.the closure is loosely held to the loop by a swivel pin ISZ. .The P3111132. hasa shanl 233 extending through the end of the hump {SI-..and'thrQugh. the loop.:26, and is ofsufficient :lengthtto permit relative vertical angular move- :ment ofitheclosureand thespring 23. ..The deree of tilting. so permitted is limited to some. ex- .tentby. a washerl3 l' carried by'the pin 32 below .the-loopZfi. Asxmay be seen. by reference to Fig- .ure'xl', the. sprin 23. is inclinedtupwardly from the .pini22 .whenthe closure isin its normal .closed ;position; and the washer. 34 then bears marginally against the under sideof the'spring and tends to 'resist forces which might urge the closure and the swivel'pint32 laterallyin the direction of the opening oftheiloopT'ZS. When the closure is pressed downwardly, as shownin broken lines in Figure 4., the'downward pressure urges the swivel pin into the closed end of the. loop. Thusin both 'DOSltlOIlSithG swivel pin is constrained to' remain withintheloop and will" not readily be dislodged Itherefrom except by intent.

'lniFigurefi, we have illustrated a modified form .of radiator cap embodying'our invention, in which lugs '35are turned outwardly to'engage an inwardly turned flange-on a radiator spout, such as occurs on some types of. automobiles. .In this zmodified form, .the lugs 36 are held directlyin contact with the housing 10 by the rivets .l2, and :an attaching 'plate' 31, proportioned to'fit between thelugs, is welded to them. A sealing ring-38 is fitted around the outer sides of the lugs 30, in appropriate position to seal the cap against the -topof the radiator spout.

To fill a radiator Which is equippedwith one of our improved caps, it is not necessary to detach the cap from the radiator spout, but only to :depress the closure 28. The closure may be depressed against the resistance of the spring 23 either' by pressurethereon of a hose nozzle or other conduit end, as shown at 4|] in Figure 4, or in case the radiator is being filled 'from a "bucket or like vessel, by pressure of the finger, as the upwardly convex surface of the closure .makes it easily accessible for-manual operation. .In either case, the closure is swung downwardly :around the pin 22 asian axis of rotation. The 'looseness of the universal joint formed'by the :loop 26, the hump 3|:andthe swivel pin 32; per- 4 mits the closure to tilt and thus without injury to adjust itself to the pressure and to hose nozzles of various sizes. The closure may also rotate in response to greater pressure exerted upon one side of it, and therefore is not easily bent or dented at its margins, nor is it constrained to maintain any fixed or specific angular relationship with the spring 23.

The hose nozzle or conduit end 4|] may be held .manually ormay be inserted in the opening 19 so that a segment of the conduit end is engaged by the concavity 36. When so engaged, the conduit end is subject to lateral rather than upward :pressure and will hold its position without manual force. The closure 28 will tilt at all angles of rotation'to accommodate conduit ends of differwith the flange 20, which are approximately the limits of tilting imposed on the closure by the washer 34, the closure will: seal theopening ill at any position of tilt or rotation. Being free to rotate and to tilt until it finds a satisfactory sealing position, the closure tends to rub smooth,

rather than merely to, press, such lumps of grease and rust as commonly accumulate ata radiator spout, spreading grease to form a better seal instead ofbeing adversely affected thereby.

We claim: A closure of the character described, comprising. ahousing having a circular opening therein, a :closure element disposed'below said opening and having on its upper surface a spherical annulus adapted to form a universal joint with the'periphery-of said opening and having a downwardly extending central portion terminating substantially spherically, a spring mounted on said housing having aloop forming azuniversal seat for said downwardly extending central portion.and adapted to urge said closure element upwa-rdlyi'to its closed position, and-a swivel pin carried by said downwardly extending central portion and extending loosely through said loop whereby said closure element may rotate, tilt,

and shift laterally upon the seat formed by said loop.

:MICHAEL L. SELZLER. OWEN o. OLESON.

REFERENCES 'orrso .The following referencesiare of record in the fileof this; patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Michyeta Nov. 5, 1946 

